The Puzzle, A Tale Told in Pieces
by jespah
Summary: In June of 2154, Travis Mayweather is removed from his bed for an odd alien experiment. Can he work together with other species? Are any of the people he's been kidnapped with even real?
1. Piece 1 - Tangle

Travis Mayweather is removed from his bed for an odd alien experiment. Can he work together with other species? Are any of the people he's been kidnapped with even real?

_The Puzzle – A Tale Told in Pieces_

Piece 1 – Tangle

Travis Mayweather woke up or rather was jolted awake and found himself not on the _Enterprise_and in his warm and comfortable quarters but instead in a nondescript room, tangled amid a mass of bodies. There were green legs and blue arms, an antenna here, a furry arm there. He disengaged himself from the mass and stood up. A thin, pale arm with spidery blue veins was sticking out. It appeared to be human so he pulled on it and was pleasantly surprised to see it was attached to an elderly human woman with a very long grey and white braid snaking down her back. The woman was dressed in a nightgown.

Travis looked down at his own attire. He was still in his usual sleeping outfit, a sweatshirt with a ratty old tank top under it and a loose drawstring-waisted pair of pants. He was barefoot, and so was the old woman. She was saying something to him in some Slavic language. He blinked a few times, still getting used to the scene. He pinched his own arm a few times. No, he wasn't dreaming.

The mass of arms and legs disentangled itself and he saw Vulcans and Andorians, among others. There was a vague sound of machinery kicking on, "I said, 'Do you know where we are?'" said the old woman.

"You're speaking English," said Travis.

"No, you are speaking Russian."

"I guess a Universal Translator must have come on. And no, I have no idea where we are. I'm Travis."

"And I am Yekaterina Petrova. You must excuse me, I am not familiar with most aliens, I just know Vulcans; they come to the Library sometimes."

"Library?"

"Yes, I am Chief Librarian of the New Moscow Library on Lunar Colony One. Do you hear a baby crying?"

Travis strained and heard the cries, "Yes, I think I do. It's coming from over there." He pointed in the direction of a vaguely foggy area away from the other people, who had started to argue with one another, "Let's investigate." He took her arm, it seemed only natural. She reminded him of his grandmother, who he had only seen twice before she had died.

"Ah, thank you, you are a gentleman. You are like my grandson. But he is more handsome. I suppose I am a little biased." Yekaterina smiled at him, "There, is that swaddling?" She pointed to a mass of clothing on the floor.

"Yes, that's what it looks like." Travis dropped her arm and picked up the squalling bundle. He moved a bit of cloth away from the baby's face. It was Klingon. "Whoa."

"Here, let me hold him. Or her." Yekaterina held out her arms and Travis put the baby into them. Nearly instantly, the baby quieted down. This caused the other people to cease arguing.

A Vulcan woman neared, "I am T'Bek. Do you have any information about our situation?"

"I wish I did," said Travis, "Yekaterina and I are in the dark. And you?"

"No one seems to know, although they are all happy to point fingers, it seems. That is highly illogical. It would appear that an outside entity has brought us all here, although the purpose of this gathering is not yet known."

"It looks like they lined us up two by two," said an Andorian woman, "Two Andorians, two humans, two Vulcans."

"And two Orions," said a booming voice from the rear. It was an Orion man and he was huge.

"Only one Klingon," said a Klingon warrior, a male who appeared to be not too much younger than Yekaterina.

"Two," said Travis, indicating the baby, "Is this your child? Or grandchild?"

"No." spat the Klingon, "I have no children."

"Look, there is a hairy little girl, I saw her before." Yekaterina nodded in the direction of the Orion. Behind him, peering out, was a little girl who was quite hairy indeed.

The girl stepped out from behind the Orion and walked up to a hairy man. She was carrying a small toy, a doll, with red and white striping, "Where's Mommy?" she asked the man.

He leaned down to speak with her, "I don't know your Mommy, I'm sorry." Then he straightened up, "We are Arboreal Xindi."

The little girl counted out loud a couple of times, "There are twelve people here."

"Yes, that's right," said an Andorian teenaged boy.

"This appears to have been staged for our benefit," said a Vulcan male, "Several species, divided by gender and apparently also by age. Hence it is logical to conclude that the infant is female."

"And none of us know each other, at least I didn't know Yekaterina until now, and the Xindi don't seem to know each other. Is that true of everyone else?" asked Travis.

"We are not acquainted." T'Bek indicated her counterpart.

"Neither are we," said the Andorian boy, gesturing to the Andorian woman.

"I do not think I own this one." The Orion pointed to a pile of rags on the floor. The rags stirred, and a woman's face appeared, green and alluring, with tomato orangey-red full lips and bedroom eyes, "But check the tattoo on the back of the neck."

Travis went over to the Orion woman. She cowered a little, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?"

"Merchandise does not have names. Just numbers." roared the Orion, "Check the tattoo or I will do so myself." He made it clear that the prospect was not a pleasant one for the Orion woman.

She flipped her hair back obediently but said nothing, "42753." Travis read, "My God. Don't you - what does your mother call you?"

"Mother?" 42753 whispered hoarsely, "What is Mother?"

"The one who bore you, who cared for you when you were small, like her." Travis indicated the Xindi girl.

"Mother is gone. Sold away." 42753 lowered her lovely eyes.

"Enough talk, or I start charging." thundered the Orion male.

"I thought you said you didn't own her," said the Andorian boy, who had come up to where Travis and 42753 were sitting.

"The Syndicate owns that one." the Orion male straightened up, "And I follow the Syndicate. So I will take custody until we are through here, wherever here is. Unless someone cares to make a purchase."

Travis stood up and helped 42753 up. He reached in the pockets of his pants. All he found was a folded tissue, "You're not on Orion. Can't you treat her a little, well, better while we're all stuck here?"

The Orion was about to answer when the baby started to scream again.

"She is hungry, I think," said Yekaterina, "This one seems to be a newborn. Can any of you ladies nurse?"

The Vulcan and Andorian women shook their heads. 42753 looked down.

"Do you have an infant?" T'Bek asked her.

"N-no."

"Very well. There is nothing we can do to feed the infant," said T'Bek.

"Look!" called out the Andorian boy.

The fog had cleared and the room was suddenly well-defined. It was circular, with doors all the way around.

The Xindi girl tried to count the doors and lost track a few times. She finally said, "I think we each have a door."

"The child appears to be correct," said the Vulcan male, "Even the infant seems to have a door."

"But which goes with which? They all look the same," said the Xindi male.

Travis remembered something from long ago, "It's like a story I read, _The Lady and the Tiger_." he offered.

"Go on," said the Andorian woman.

"It's only two doors, I think, maybe three, but a man is in prison and offered the choice of doors. Behind one is a man-eating tiger so it means death. The other has a beautiful lady so it symbolizes life."

"Which did the man choose?" asked T'Bek.

"I can't remember, I think I didn't finish the book." Travis said sheepishly.

Water began to seep into the room, from under the doors, "What's happening?" called out the Xindi girl, her voice betraying some panic.

"The water is getting higher!" exclaimed the Andorian woman.

"Here, child, let me lift you up." the Xindi man bent down to the girl and she obligingly got into his arms.

"Take the baby." Travis said to the Klingon.

"Me? Why?"

"Because Yekaterina might slip."

The transfer was made and the Klingon raised his full arms high above his head. As the water continued to rush in, Travis picked up Yekaterina. She was little more than a bag of bones.

"Quick! A door! A door!" called out the Andorian woman, who was starting to try to swim.

The Orion man heaved against a door and it did not move, "The panel!" screamed the Xindi girl.

He hit the panel hard with the palm of his hand. A thunderous bang was heard and the room changed immediately to a warm, dry circular room with no doors. There wasn't even a drop of water on the floor.

Travis gently put Yekaterina down as the Klingon brought the baby down to her level, "Here, she is better with you," said the Klingon. Yekaterina had her hand on the baby's leg as he began to transfer the infant to her. Suddenly, the baby disappeared.


	2. Piece 2 - Heat

Piece 2 – Heat

"What just happened?" asked the Klingon, "I had her, and then you had her, and now ...?"

"Now no one seems to have the baby," said Yekaterina, "Is that possible?"

"Analysis," said T'Bek to the Vulcan male.

"I, I see from this room that it is different from the last one, it cannot possibly be the same room and perhaps is not even the same floor. As for the child, I cannot say, I am not a scientist, just an architecture student."

T'Bek raised an eyebrow, "Does anyone have any theories? Right now, any idea is plausible, as this place does not appear to follow normal physical laws."

"I think we were beamed." offered Travis, "That doesn't explain the baby, I don't think, but the change of the room could be explained that way. When the panel was hit by the, uh, by you," he indicated the Orion, "maybe it triggered a transporter. And we were brought here. But where is here?"

"The room is .06% smaller in diameter than the previous room," said the Vulcan male, "My conclusion is that it is just above the room we were in previously."

"The baby, though, what about the baby? Why did it disappear?" asked Yekaterina.

"If it were beamed, you and I would have been beamed away with her," said the Klingon, "We were both in physical contact with the infant."

"But – "Yekaterina began, but was cut off.

"Where is Chabbo?!" the little Xindi girl screamed, "Mommy! I want my Mommy! And Stereg, where is Stereg? I want my Chabbo!" Her protests began to dissolve into incoherent sobs and gasps. The room became stuffier.

"What are Chabbo and Stereg?" T'Bek asked the elder Xindi.

"Names." he shrugged.

The Andorian woman went over to the Xindi girl and knelt down so that they were on the same level, "Shh, now, who is Chabbo?" The Xindi girl continued crying. The Andorian woman continued, "Is Chabbo the baby's name? Is Chabbo the little baby that was here?"

That seemed to stop the Xindi girl's crying, at least for the moment, "N-no. Chabbo is, Chabbo is, Chabbo is my favorite doll. I can't find him. I think I left him in the other room." she started to cry again.

"Well, I don't think we can go back to get Chabbo right now, but maybe we can try later," said the Andorian woman, "You know, I have a little boy - well, he's not so little now - and you remind me a bit of how he was when he was your age. He had a favorite toy, too. Now, what about Stereg? Can you tell me about Stereg?"

"Stereg is, is, my brother. He is sick. He has been sick for all his life I think. And Daddy says the doctor on the _Iska_is our last hope."

"_Iska_?" The Andorian woman straightened up. The kneeling must have been too much for her knees, "What is _Iska_?" she asked the Xindi male.

"It is, or at least was, a waterfall on Xindus Prime. Our ships are all named for natural wonders on our planet, so that we don't forget them. Medical ships are named for rivers and waterfalls, I believe."

"Were you on the _Iska_before you were, uh, brought here?" the Andorian woman asked the Xindi girl. The girl nodded vigorously and looked ready to cry again, "All right." the Andorian woman knelt down again. "Can I ask you to do something? Good. My name is Solana and it would be very comforting to me, it would make me a lot less afraid, if you could be my friend. What is your name?"

The little girl mumbled something, "What is it, child?" asked the Klingon, a little impatient.

"Aranda Chara," said the girl.

"Chara. Chara," said the male Xindi, thinking out loud. He practically walked into the Orion.

"Old man, I see you have an eye for the finer things." the Orion said, smiling an oily smile, "The merchandise has a price, of course, but I can sell the accessories. Here, have my card. Nistik Limited, for all slave accessories." He fished into a hidden pocket inside his clothing and produced an array of cards.

"Slave accessories? Man, I don't have two pieces of ore to rub together." protested the Xindi, handing back the card, which was a small lit panel with a green dancing girl moving on it.

"What are slave accessories?" asked the Vulcan male. He and the other men stood together.

"Oh, collars, prod sticks, rations, that sort of thing. A prod stick would be good for this one. They are supposed to be irresistible, you know, but clearly that's not the case today so I have to conclude that performance would be improved with a prod stick."

"I thought you didn't own her," said the Andorian boy.

"Oh, I do not own this one, but I can get a fine commission. And, of course, like I said, you need accessories. You all need them. See? I see a need, and I fill it." He tried to press his card into each of the men's hands, but they all stood firm.

"There is no honor in being with a frightened woman." stated the Klingon, "The weak and the helpless hold no sexual appeal to me or my kind."

"No," said Travis firmly, returning the card to the Orion.

"Vulcans do not participate in such things."

The Andorian boy looked at the card, at 42753 and at Solana, and then handed the card back to Nistik the Orion, "I'm in enough trouble with my parents as it is."

"Trouble?" asked Travis, falling into step beside him as they moved away from Nistik.

"Yes, I was foolish; I skipped school, and was caught, so they are having me stay in my room for the next few days. I am not supposed to go anywhere but to school."

"You're grounded? I thought only my mother still did that."

"Yes, if grounded means to stay in one place, mainly, as a means of punishment. And now I am out of my room. We have been here for what feels like hours. I imagine they have discovered my disappearance by now, and are probably very angry with me."

"Yeah, I guess our disappearances have been discovered by now," said Travis, "That means someone will start looking. That's a good thing."

"I suppose my classmates will be looking for me," said the Vulcan male, "And my professors, if they have gotten to Sedek on the attendance sheet."

"It's so hot," said Solana, and they heard a thud as she collapsed to the floor. Everyone rushed over. Travis became acutely aware of how sweaty he had suddenly become.

"Give her air." commanded T'Bek. There was another thud, and 42753 collapsed.

Everyone looked around in a panic. Sedek spoke up, "Everyone drop to the floor!"

"You are joking," said Nistik skeptically.

"Vulcans do not joke," said Sedek, "We learned this in class. It is cooler below than it is above."

Everyone dropped. Travis reached 42753 and started to lightly fan her face to try to revive her. It wasn't working. He could feel he was getting woozy, and it didn't seem to have anything to do with Orion pheromones. He barely saw Sedek crawl over to a newly-appeared door, straighten himself up and press the panel.

The room instantly cooled and the new ceiling was incredibly high. It was as if the ceiling were shrouded in cloud cover. There was a large column or tree trunk in the center of the room, far from everyone. That was the sole feature of the room. Travis began to take it all in.

And that's when Sedek disappeared.


	3. Piece 3 - Drink Me

Piece 3 – Drink Me

Travis felt himself slowly recovering. It was a lot cooler in the big room – that was a blessing. He helped 42753 to her feet, "Are you all right?" She nodded and looked down. Travis saw he was still touching her shoulders and quickly dropped them, "Uh, sorry." She smiled at him shyly and then looked away.

"Hands off the merchandise." Nistik said tiredly, "Just how many times do I have to tell you? No pay, no play."

"I'm just helping her up. It's common decency." protested Travis, "Are you so surprised that I'm not affected by her the way that most men are by Orion women?"

"Are you saying the merchandise is damaged?" thundered Nistik, "No discounts."

"I don't want a blasted discount! Isn't there, isn't there any way for you, while we're here, to just treat her with dignity?"

"Slaves are treated like slaves. The Syndicate requires it. Even off-planet, things don't change." yawned Nistik.

"You really changed your tune quickly," said the Xindi male, "You tried to sell us, well, whatever, in the last room, and now you're back to all business. Which is it with you?"

"Ah, old man, you misunderstand," said Nistik, smiling his oily smile, "There's no difference and no confusion. I'm a salesman. I'm always looking to make a sale. But our first adventure, I admit it caught me off guard. But it caught all of us off guard, so far as I can tell. I found my cards - I always carry my cards around, for who knows what would normally happen in the course of a strange journey such as ours - and then naturally it was time to see if I could, you know, make a sale. And I am still interested, for anyone who is interested, in furthering a sale. You, perhaps?"

"No, not me. As I told you, I am, let's just say I am short of funds," said the Xindi, "And even if I wasn't, I would not buy a woman, or even any sort of, what did you call it, _accessories_to keep a woman quiet or make her compliant. I was not raised that way." He turned on his heel.

"And you? Are human males made of flesh and desire, or of trellium?" Nistik turned to Travis, "You are eyeing her all the time. Do you not wish for a taste of what is forbidden?"

"I'm with him." Travis pointed to the Xindi, "I don't pay for female companionship and I certainly don't condone any sort of artificial means for simulating desire. Even if I did, it doesn't matter, she doesn't interest me in that way."

"That thing has no desires. It has to be artificially enhanced, as you say." Nistik pointed to 42753.

"It's - she's - she has feelings. Everyone has feelings," said Travis, "Don't you think she longs for freedom?"

"Freedom?" Nistik laughed, "Ah, you misunderstand our ways. I will explain our linguistics. You, over there, Yekaterina, you might be interested."

Yekaterina approached, "I am listening, but I suspect I know where this is going." she said softly.

"Very well. Our language has two cases: master and slave." began Nistik.

"Do you not mean male and female?" prompted Yekaterina, "Many languages have gender differences."

"No, I mean master and slave. But you would say male and female. And there are different endings, prefixes, that sort of thing, I am no linguist but I know my own speech. Masters have personal pronouns like _I_and_he_, but slaves do not. And some words apply to masters and not to slaves. _Freedom_is one of those words," said Nistik.

"So your culture makes it impossible for women to see themselves as individuals, or as free, or as anything more important than, I suppose, a sack of your prod sticks?" asked Yekaterina, "It is like, ah, it is propaganda."

"That's a very harsh word," said Nistik, who appeared hurt.

"Couldn't you do something other than participate in the slave trade?" asked the Andorian boy, "Not be a part of it and promote it, like be a teacher?"

"Or a soldier." offered the Klingon.

"Or a miner, I suppose," said the Xindi male.

"Or even a doctor," said Solana, who walked over and put Aranda down.

Nistik laughed, "There's no money in any of that! I don't go around telling any of you what to do. How dare you presume to tell me how to live my life?" he thundered, "It's not like it can feel anything." he gestured to 42753.

"Or you could make shoes." Aranda said in her small voice, "My feet are cold."

"Here, maybe someone else can pick you up," said Solana, "My back is not what it used to be. Your mother and father, I bet they tell you that you are getting very big."

"Chara, Chara," said the Xindi man, "I remember now. Aranda, is your mother named Chara Sika?" he asked, bending down.

"M-maybe."

"Can you tell her something for me? Can you tell her that there are Xindi on Gemara?"

"I - I don't know."

"You have to tell her." the Xindi male pressed, looking a little menacing.

"Don't try to exploit this child," said Solana, interposing herself between the two Xindi.

"You don't know my desperation. And what is she to you?" asked the Xindi male.

"She's a child. And children shouldn't be used or threatened. Isn't that enough?" said Solana.

T'Bek had been standing by herself, evidently lost in thought. She walked over and spoke, breaking the tension, "It is most logical to head for the only feature in this room, the column at its apparent center. It would be a furtherance of logic for us to share our knowledge, our observations and our theories about these places and the events of this evening." She lifted Aranda up, "I am walking there with the child. For anyone who wishes to accompany us, now is the time."

Travis offered Yekaterina his arm again and reluctantly offered the other as a prop to the Xindi, who was moving slowly, "Not so fast, okay? My friends here are a little slower than you are." he called.

"Yes, of course," said T'Bek, slowing down and waiting for everyone else to catch up to her.

"Let's talk about where we were prior to this evening's activities." she began, "I was asleep in my quarters. Was anyone else?"

Travis and Solana nodded. Aranda had fallen asleep in T'Bek's arms and was unresponsive, "I was bivouacked with my unit," said the Klingon, "And was asleep. I had just finished guard duty if that has any meaning."

"I was in my room, studying," said the Andorian boy, "Yes, I was really studying. I didn't have much else to do. I guess I dozed off."

The others were silent, "So it is apparent that we were all or at least most of us were asleep. Perhaps we are continuing to sleep." offered T'Bek.

"I don't know," said Travis, "I pinched myself a few times. That's, I know that sounds silly, but we humans do that, we say, _Pinch me, I must be dreaming_and then that's the test to see if we're dreaming. And if the results of that test are accurate, I'm not dreaming right now."

"Plus, why would someone sleep during a dream?" asked Solana, indicating Aranda's sleeping form, "She is as peaceful as any napping child. It makes no sense that she would dream about dreaming."

"Not if she were the one doing the dreaming," said Yekaterina, "Perhaps only one of us is dreaming, and the others are figments of that one's subconscious imagination."

"So you mean some of us are not real?" asked the Xindi, "In that case, I can say for certain that I am real. So it's not much of a mystery."

"Hey, I think I'm real," said Travis, "And I bet Solana and T'Bek and everyone else believes they are real."

"But is it belief or is it, instead, an accurate observation?" asked T'Bek, "Wouldn't a convincing illusion - in order to be truly convincing - be convinced of its own reality?"

"You're giving me a headache," said Nistik, "Can't we all just walk in silence?"

They walked quietly for a while, "One more thing," said T'Bek, "What do you suppose is the meaning of the vanishings? First the Klingon baby and then Sedek. Is there a pattern emerging?"

"The pattern seems, to me, to be that one person of each group, er, race, er, species, disappears," said the Andorian boy, "And maybe it's boy, girl, boy, girl, although we might not have enough information to ascertain that."

"So you're saying that T'Bek and him - I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name," said Solana, indicating the Klingon.

"It is Keleth." he replied.

"Thank you, Keleth. T'Bek and Keleth are safe or at least not going to vanish any time soon, but you or I or Travis or Yekaterina and the others are ripe for, I guess I'd call it plucking?" finished Solana.

"If it's male and female in alternation, then the next one is Yekaterina or you. Or 42753. Or the child," said Keleth.

Everyone stopped for a moment, "What happens if we refuse to play their game?" asked Travis, "What if we don't open up a door like they want us to?"

"So far, we have been forced to open a door at the conclusion of what appear to be exercises," said T'Bek, "First the flood and then the heat forced us to press a door panel in order to escape a room when it became unbearable. It is as if we are being permitted to think about our actions, to judge and weigh them, but when it comes time to actually make a decision and move on, our hand is forced and we are required to hurry."

They had arrived at the column. It was beautifully carved, with fanciful animals and plants all around. Aranda woke up, "Are we there yet?"

"Yes, we have arrived." T'Bek put her down, "But I am uncertain as to the purpose of our destination."

Aranda stretched and walked around the column, "Catch me if you can!" she started to skip and run.

"Careful, you'll fall!" exclaimed Yekaterina, following after her. Yekaterina was only half-right, as it was she who fell, rather than Aranda, "Oh!"

Travis and Solana ran over to where Yekaterina was sprawled, "Are you all right? Here, let me have a look," said Solana, "I don't know much human anatomy, I'm afraid I'll have to extrapolate from my Andorian medical education." She lifted Yekaterina's nightgown a little and there was a purplish welt on the elder woman's left ankle, "That looks painful. Do you think you can walk? Travis, help me."

"I think I can - say, look at that." Yekaterina indicated the floor, "I think that is what I tripped on."

Travis lifted it up. It was a small bottle, "Odd thing to be left here, just lying around. Aranda!" He yelled, "You need to come back now!"

The child obeyed. Her face fell when she saw Yekaterina being helped by Travis and Solana, "I – I'm sorry."

"Child, you like to play, like every other child I have ever known," said Yekaterina gently, "Do you like to read stories?"

"I can't read yet. I like to listen to stories," said Aranda, "My daddy tells good stories."

Yekaterina smiled, "I am putting it all together. You see, this, this bottle here. It is, ah, I cannot believe I did not think of this before, but it is _Drink me_." she smiled.

"_Drink me_?" asked the Andorian boy, who had caught up to them, "What does that mean? I mean, other than the obvious."

"It is a story, an old story, older than my parents, older than their parents," said Yekaterina, "English, I think, it is story of little girl and everything is too big or too small and she eats or drinks and gets bigger or smaller. And in the end it is all a big elaborate dream."

"How do we know there's even anything in that little bottle?" said Nistik.

Keleth took the bottle and shook it. There was a sloshing sound, "It is full or mostly full. But how do we know it's not poisoned?"

"It would not be logical. So far, the challenges have not been fatal. We have been able to avoid all real danger by simply pressing a door panel," said T'Bek.

"How do you know the challenges weren't fatal to Sedek and the baby?" asked the Xindi.

"I don't think we can know," said Travis, "Maybe that's a part of the puzzle, for us to try to figure out what happened to them, or why they were removed from our group."

"Does the puzzle become simpler or more difficult as we go along? With more pieces or more gaps?" mused Yekaterina. She winced, "Oh, it hurts something fierce."

"May I?" asked 42753, suddenly emboldened. She had come over and was kneeling at Yekaterina's feet, "I, I think I can help a little."

"Be careful." Solana cautioned, "Yekaterina can't be handled roughly."

"A moment," said 42753, and she began to massage the elder woman's leg. The welt faded and Yekaterina smiled.

"I feel much better." she said, "How did you know what to do?"

"Didn't. It's just what's done in the, in the slave quarters. Fix whatever's wrong, if that's possible. Some things can't be fixed."

"Like your lack of chemical attractiveness?" asked Nistik, "There's no wonder you have never been purchased. Damaged."

"What does that mean?" asked the Andorian boy.

"He is right. There is some form of damage. All other slaves, all are very alluring, it's a kind of chemical given off. Don't know much about it."

"Yes, now it all makes sense," said Travis, "Our doctor said you all give off a powerful pheromone. It makes men violent and interested and other women listless. But that's not happening here. So that explains why Keleth and I aren't at each other's throats, and why Solana and the rest of the woman aren't complaining of headaches. I wouldn't call it damaged, though. You're just different."

"But why did he say he knew you hadn't been sold before?" the Andorian boy persisted.

"It's obvious. If you are sold, your first owner selects a name for you. Otherwise, you are a number. Forever."

"You don't have to be just a number," said Yekaterina, "You are an individual."

"Oh, spare me!" complained Nistik, "Here, you were all worried about the drink being poisoned." he grabbed the flask from Keleth. He was the only one there who seemed to be able to do so. He drank from the bottle, "There, now you'll know. Anything to get all you busybodies to shut up!"

Keleth took the bottle back and drank some, "It tastes like blood wine. A reasonable vintage." He held it out to the others.

"It would appear most logical if everyone was to ingest some of the liquid. But a child should not be drinking wine." stated T'Bek.

"Who said anything about wine? It was water," said Nistik.

Travis took a sip, "It's like fresh-squeezed orange juice."

Solana took a swig, "The juice of the pilma plant."

Aranda sipped some, "It's a little like milk."

Everyone else drank some. It was Yekaterina who noticed first, "The column is getting shorter."

"Or we're getting larger," said T'Bek, "You were right, this is like the story you remembered. And look, the doors have reappeared."

"What's that up there?" asked Keleth, pointing to a suddenly brown part of the ceiling that was getting larger and nearer by the second.

"It's –- get out of the way!" yelled the Xindi male.

Everyone moved. In about a minute, they all understood what it was: the top of a table. The column had not been a column at all, but rather a table leg. Travis looked down at the top and read what was etched into it, "Halfway done."

"Is that halfway done with the overall test, or just halfway done with this room?" asked Solana, "It's interesting how it – or they – has finally decided to communicate with us."

"We're getting very large," said 42753, "Is that the real ceiling up there?"

"I'm big!" exclaimed Aranda.

"Yes, you're a very big girl," said the Andorian boy, "But I think we're all getting too big. Ow." He cried out when his head hit the ceiling.

"Remember what we said about being forced to make quick escape decisions? I get the feeling now is just about the time," said Solana, sitting down, "It's getting very crowded in here."

Everyone was again becoming a tangle of arms and legs. It was getting difficult to breathe, "Aranda!" called out T'Bek, "You're the only one who can still reach a panel! Quickly!"

Aranda smacked a panel with her hand. There was a sensation of falling, and they all saw the Andorian boy vanish.


	4. Piece 4 - Ricochets

Piece 4 – Ricochets

They had separated, and everyone was knee-deep in something, except for Aranda, who was waist-deep in whatever it was. The lighting got brighter and it became obvious that they were all standing in a huge pile of weapons. The Xindi male bent down and was about to pick up one when Keleth yelled, "Don't!"

The Xindi straightened up, "What, what's the problem?"

"Look closely but do not touch. See the red light in front of you? On each weapon? That means it is fully charged and the safety mechanism is off. Or so I believe. I have studied many weapons systems although it's impossible to know them all." finished the Klingon.

Travis looked down. There were various models of phase pistol and rifle around him, of different eras but all basically familiar. And they all had a red light on, "So if one is picked up," he said, "some other one will slide and maybe hit a third one, and maybe set it off. Right?" He suddenly felt queasy.

"Yes, that is my thought." The Klingon very carefully picked up one weapon. Everyone held their breath while all of the other weapons in the room slid about a centimeter. It was enough to make your heart stop, "We should test one, see if it is truly armed, or if it is a trick."

"And then any recoil or ricochet, or anything falling, would again disturb the pile," said T'Bek, "You will need to test on something other than a weapon."

"I have an idea," said the Xindi, "Nistik, throw a card to Keleth."

"I don't take orders from you, old man," said Nistik. Everyone was staring at him and he finally conceded, "All right, but those cards don't grow on trees. I expect someone to compensate me for the business expense."

"What kind of card is that?" asked Aranda.

"Nothing you need to worry about," said Solana. She leaned over slightly, wanting to touch the child, but the pile threatened to slide again so the Andorian straightened back up.

Nistik tossed the card at Keleth, who caught it with the practiced grace of an athlete, "You could play baseball with a catch like that," said Travis.

"We do not play foolish games, we fight wars," said Keleth, "But I suppose that is your culture's way of appreciating skills." He shook his head.

"It is. Accept the compliment, okay?" said Travis.

"Very well," said Keleth, shrugging, "You are a strange race." He turned ever so slightly away from everyone else. The pile slid a little but otherwise remained stable as everyone flinched, "All right, I will test this weapon. Everyone will stand perfectly still and out of the way."

He threw the card in the air and vaporized it before it hit the pile.

"Nice shooting, Tex," said Travis, "I guess that proves at least the sample is loaded."

"Who is this Tex?" asked Yekaterina, "But I digress. The point is proven, it would seem."

"Can anyone figure out what we should be doing?" asked the Xindi male, "I don't imagine that standing amidst a pile of, of potential disasters is the point of this room."

"I don't see any doors," said T'Bek, "It would appear that we are, as of now, trapped here in this predicament. At least, for the time being. A solution should present itself. That has been the pattern thus far."

There was a low sniffling sound, "Solana, I don't want to stay this way." It was Aranda.

"I know, little one. We're thinking of something we can do. Don't be afraid." Solana tried again to reach Aranda, but it was futile. The distance was too great, and the pile too dangerous and precariously placed, "I, oh dear, I can't reach you."

Aranda looked down at the weapons in front of her. Travis recognized a few as being of Xindi design. They might all have been; he was not sure, "This one looks pretty. I like the color."

"Don't touch it!" yelled T'Bek, losing her usual composure, "I mean, it would be unwise. Aranda, you must stand very still. Everyone has to stand very still right now."

"I, I'll try."

"We can't stay this way forever. A little child, she gets impatient and it is like, it is ants in the pants," said Yekaterina.

"What about talking about what just happened? We lost the - I've forgotten his name - the Andorian boy. So the girl, boy pattern was wrong," said Travis, trying to think of something to talk about while they all stood and waited and wondered if some random weapon would overload.

"Yes, it was female, then male and then male again," said the Xindi, "So the pattern is broken."

"Or perhaps the pattern is more complex than originally thought," said T'Bek, "But the other pattern, the one where it is one person from each species that is, what did you call it?" she indicated Solana.

"Plucked."

"Yes, a good, descriptive term. Plucked. So a Klingon, a Vulcan and an Andorian have been plucked. And there are still two humans, two Orions and two Xindi. Hence that may be what the table's inscription was referencing."

"So, T'Bek," said the Xindi male, "if I understand what you're suggesting, we have to lose three more people before we're done?"

"That would appear to be a requirement," said T'Bek.

"But I repeat what I said in the last room," said Yekaterina, "Are we being given more pieces to this puzzle, or are the components being removed systematically?"

"I don't feel any closer to a solution than I did in the first room," said the Xindi male, "It just seems to get stranger. We all go under one assumption, that the next person to be, to be plucked is female, and a male is taken. And so it goes. It seems to me that the only consistencies are the plucking, the room changes and the dangers we keep getting ourselves into."

"But I can't help feeling that there is a purpose behind all of this." offered Travis, "Did we learn anything in the last room?"

"We learned that when they give you something to drink, you become big," said Keleth.

"Or," began T'Bek, who was starting to look like she was working something out, "we may have learned that, even though our perceptions of the drink were different, we were all affected the same way. That is what I took away from it."

"And what is the meaning of _this_room?" asked 42753, "Well, don't everyone look or anything. It's a perfectly reasonable question. Um, isn't it?" she asked Nistik.

"Talk talk talk, everybody here loves the sounds of their own voices. Wasting time, I say." Nistik complained. He grabbed a weapon and the entire pile slid about a half a meter. There was the sound of a single shot. Everyone ducked and lights ricocheted around the room for a few minutes.

When the ricocheting stopped, everyone cautiously straightened up. Solana had a neat hole in her blouse, at the left shoulder. The presence of a dark bluish liquid confirmed that there was also a neat hole in her shoulder, "God! How could you have done something so _stupid_?" she screamed.

"The Andorian is right," said Keleth, "That was extremely foolish. If you understood weaponry, you would understand how dangerous this all is!"

"Idiot, you could've gotten us all killed!" exclaimed the Xindi male.

Aranda began to cry, "No, n - no, don't fight!" Big drops fell from her eyes and the pile shifted again.

Everyone ducked again. Yekaterina was shaking, "They - whoever it is - the ones who brought us here - they saved it all up for this. I may be old and ready to die soon, but the rest of you are not, and not this way, I am sure."

"You're not making her feel any better." complained Solana, "Blast, I need a tourniquet, the way I'm bleeding. If anyone should be chewing out Nistik, it should be me."

"Don't fight, don't fight!" Aranda's cries were nearly drowned out by the sound of a tremor.

It felt a little like a planet quake. Travis had been through a few of them. He ducked again, "What the devil's going on here?" he asked, to no one in particular, "It's like they're playing with us."

"There is no logic here," said T'Bek, "It does not make sense that our group would survive this long and then be confronted with an impossible problem. There must be a solution, but I cannot see it."

There was another tremor and then things quieted down for maybe an hour. Everyone looked scared, even T'Bek, but they were staying still although it was becoming obvious that inaction was turning painful and difficult for everyone, even Keleth.

Tired of the stalemate, 42753 picked a weapon off the pile, which slid again, "It's so, so. I don't know."

"Easy?" asked the Xindi male.

"Yes, easy." she said, "But it is still wrong." She pointed the weapon at Nistik, "But it doesn't matter anymore. I am tired of it all. Tired of you. Tired of being a slave. And tired of this room."

"Don't, don't, don't fight!" Aranda gasped. They all looked at her. She was crying and shaking, "Not like, not like Mommy and Daddy! He made Mommy cry!"

"Are there fights at home?" asked Yekaterina, "Aranda, are you thinking about something that happens in your home, and it's too horrible to think about? And no one wants to talk about it?"

"Y - yes."

Keleth held out his huge hand and touched Aranda on the shoulder. The touch was surprisingly tender. She flinched very slightly but then relaxed a little, "I, you should not cry. I know that your species is more sensitive than ours, and that you are very young. It must be hard. But right now tears are not helpful. A warrior does not cry."

"I'm, I'm not a warrior," said Aranda, snuffling.

"I know. You are not a Klingon child." he said, "But you can be brave like one. You are correct. This problem will not be solved if there is no cooperation."

But 42753 was still holding her weapon, and now it was pointed down at the pile, "Guess the whole thing is committed. Can't put it back."

"But you don't have to use it," said Solana, wincing with pain, blood from her left shoulder oozing between the fingers of her right hand as she tried to cover the wound.

Nistik had been quiet until that time, "There's no sense reasoning. This stalemate has to end sometime. It may as well be now." He pointed his weapon at 42753, "Damaged goods, anyway. Would be merciful to just put it down."

42753 raised her weapon again, "You have no idea how close you are." She looked more confident than she had all along.

"Go ahead, shoot me. You're just an illusion."

"An illusion? How do you figure that?" asked Travis.

"Illusion. There's three species left and with two of them, we lose the girl. Since I know I'm real, this one's not." snickered Nistik. He made a show of bravado, but he still had the weapon pointed at 42753.

"That is surprisingly logical," said T'Bek.

"Maybe this one isn't real," said 42753, pointing to herself, "But the weapon might be." She shot Nistik in the arm and he crumpled into a heap on the pile. More shots rang out as more ricocheting started. Again, everyone ducked. But then the doors appeared around the room.

Coolly, 42753 stood up straight, amidst numerous wild shots, aimed her weapon and shot one of the panels.

Total, complete darkness came instantly, and it was impossible to see if anyone had disappeared or if they all had, but at least the pile of weapons was gone.


	5. Piece 5 - Veil

Piece 5 – Veil

The darkness was palpable, thick like melted licorice. Travis heard a thud and got the sickening feeling that it was a body hitting the floor. But whose? "T'Bek!" he yelled, "Aranda!"

"No need to shout in my ear." It was Keleth, practically talking directly into Travis's right ear.

"Oh, sorry. I, I didn't, of course I didn't see you."

"Travis!" T'Bek's voice was faint, like she was on the other side of whatever large room they were in.

"Hang on, we're thinking of something!" Travis yelled back, careful to point himself a bit away from Keleth's general direction.

"Mr. Keleth, is that still your hand on my arm?" It was Aranda.

"Yes. Here, you should take my hand. Take Travis's hand with your other one. We do not want you to get lost, little warrior."

"Do you know the name of the Xindi man?" asked Travis, "We should call everyone's name, see who's still with us."

"No idea," said Keleth, "The old man will have to come when someone else is called. Yekaterina!" he yelled.

"Yes, I am here, we are here." She sounded remote but not as remote as T'Bek.

"I am with her!" It was the Xindi male, "We will start to walk towards you!"

"Wait a second!" called Travis, "The acoustics in here are bad. You might have trouble figuring out where we are. Wait for us." Then, more quietly, he said, "Keleth, we should go to them. If either of them get hurt, no one'll be able to help them."

"As the Vulcan woman would say, that is a logical idea." agreed Keleth, "But I will just say you are thinking above your rank. They are, I think, to the right."

"Yes, to the right and then ahead maybe twenty meters," said Travis.

"Mr. Travis?" asked Aranda, "I have to go, you know."

"Now?" asked Travis.

"Yes."

"Can you hold it, or do you want me to take you?"

"I, I want a lady to take me."

"Okay. We're going to go to where Yekaterina is. And then she'll take you. Can you wait that long?"

"I think so."

"Good," said Travis, "And if you need to stop, just tell us." He then said to Keleth, "What about the others?"

"Nistik! 42753! Solana!" bellowed Keleth, "One of them must be gone," he said to Travis as they walked with Aranda, "Everyone else is accounted for. If the theory holds – the one that says only one is plucked from each species – then it is not Solana. So it may be the slave girl."

"Travis! I have Solana!" It was T'Bek, sounding a little closer, but it was hard to tell with no points of reference.

"Two unaccounted for," said Travis. He about leaped out of his skin when he felt a bony hand on his face, and then realized it was Yekaterina.

She groped around and felt his hair, "Ah, you must be Travis." she said, "Short curly hair, very pleasant style." Her hand lingered on his face for a moment.

He took her hand in his free one, "Yes, it's me. It's good we found you. I think we lost both Nistik and 42753 in that last room. Can you take Aranda to, I don't know, the middle of the room somewhere so she can, uh, do her business?"

"Yes, of course. Come with me, child." Yekaterina must have found Aranda's hand and the two of them must have been walking away, because Travis could hear their feet hitting the floor as they walked.

"We should keep talking so that they can find us again," said Keleth.

"It isn't promising," said the Xindi male, "We should go to where T'Bek is. I heard something hit the floor earlier, I do hope Solana is still with us."

"Yes. Do you think either of the Orions are here?" asked Keleth.

"If they are, we haven't heard from them. I hope we aren't sharing this room with a corpse. Aranda, she shouldn't see that," said Travis.

The sound of footsteps came nearer, "All better," said Yekaterina, groping and finding Travis's arm again. There was a small grunting sound as Keleth apparently picked up Aranda. They proceeded to where they had heard T'Bek's voice coming from.

Travis felt Yekaterina's grip tighten slightly as they walked. On occasion, one or the other of them would call out T'Bek's name and she would answer. In that way, they slowly made their way toward her. Travis had a sinking feeling. This exercise, this test, this puzzle, whatever it was, was no longer a semi-pleasant diversion. It was beginning to look extremely dangerous. He wanted nothing more than to click his heels together and be back in his quarters.

He almost tripped on something on the floor, "Oh!" It was T'Bek.

"Oh, sorry." he said, kneeling down and letting go of Yekaterina and the Xindi's hands for a moment. He felt along, trying to get his bearings.

"Travis, really, this is hardly the time." scolded T'Bek.

"Oh, sorry again." he said. He hadn't meant to fondle her backside, "Is Solana there with you?"

"Yes, I am here." Solana was a little weak and her voice broke a little, "I have lost some blood but it has stopped for the time being. It will start up again if I cannot cover the wound somehow."

There was a ripping sound. Travis felt a tapping on his shoulder, "Here, this might help." Yekaterina pressed a torn length of cloth, probably from the hem of her nightgown, into Travis's hands.

Travis remembered how to do a field dressing, just barely, although he had never before prepared one in pitch blackness. He tied the cloth around Solana's shoulder as best as he could, "I don't know how well that'll hold."

Solana replied, "It would be best if I did not move too much and risk really opening it up again. But we have to move from here and try to leave this room. If someone could help me, please." Her voice trailed off.

"I will help you." It was T'Bek.

Travis straightened back up. He heard Keleth put Aranda down and felt her take his hand. He put his other hand on T'Bek's shoulder. She was carrying Solana. He wasn't sure of how everyone else was placed, but Keleth seemed to be at the end, and they all seemed to be in physical contact. The contact was comforting, "I will lead." Keleth said, "We will go straight until we encounter a wall. There must be a wall. It is not normal for the outside of any planet to be this dark, so we must conclude that we are inside and there is a door or doors somewhere around the perimeter."

"You're thinking above your rank," said Travis as they inched along.

Keleth laughed, "Human, I am not embracing logic." he joked, "I am just taking it out for a night's entertainment. Ah, what's this?"

"What's what?" asked the Xindi.

"I have located a wall or at least an obstruction." Keleth must have been trying to find a panel, because following came sounds of his hand slapping the wall.

Finally, something gave, and the room changed.


	6. Piece 6 - Choices

Piece 6 – Choices

It was white in the next room, so white that Travis's eyes burned a little. But at least he could see; after the last room, he'd wondered if they'd all been afflicted with blindness, and if it was permanent. So that was comforting. It took a moment but pretty soon he was used to the glaring whiteness of the room. There were no features in it whatsoever and the walls were not equipped with any doors.

He saw the Xindi vanish, and said, "Hey!" or at least he thought he did, but when he spoke, there was no sound whatsoever. He tried again, tried to say, "Is everyone deaf?" but there was total silence.

He looked around, and then he saw Solana. She was bleeding again, dark blue dripping down her blouse and through the field dressing he had made. She was placed on the floor by T'Bek. He took off his tank top and handed it to T'Bek, who tried to wrap it around Solana's wound. T'Bek held Solana in front of her, with Solana sitting up and leaning back. Solana looked like she was trying to put a brave face on the situation, but her antennae were drooping and she was not looking good at all.

Keleth came over, tried to say something, but he was also silent, although his mouth was moving. Frustrated, he stamped his foot on the floor. There was a vibration, so Travis knew there was some sort of a sound from that. He covered his ears briefly as a gesture to the others to show that he was deaf. For how long was unknown, but it had to be temporary. At least, that was what he hoped.

Aranda walked over and was saying something, but the effect was the same. She stopped when she saw Travis standing with his hands on his ears, then she nodded and pointed to her right ear and shook her head. Yekaterina made the same gesture. So it was confirmed. There were only six of them left, and they were all deaf.

And Solana was in bad shape. The blood had seeped through Travis's old tank top and Solana was beginning to shiver. Keleth took off his tunic and put it over her as a kind of blanket. Solana looked up at him, smiled for a second and then winced. The pain had to be excruciating.

Yekaterina beckoned to Travis and Aranda. She took Travis's hand and unfolded the fingers so that she would have access to his palm. He watched as she traced letters on his hand. _D-O-Y-O-U-U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D_, pausing slightly between words. He nodded. She continued to trace. _Aranda should not watch if Solana dies. Take Aranda and try to find the door. Keep her busy. Maybe S will survive this room, too. _Then Yekaterina looked up at Travis with pleading eyes. He nodded grimly.

He took Aranda's hand and gently pulled her away from the scene that was playing out among Solana, T'Bek, Yekaterina and Keleth. Aranda looked back a few times, distracted. Travis opened her palm and traced on it. _Come this way and look for the door._ Aranda looked up at him, confused. Then he remembered, she had said that she could not yet read. He then got her attention by tugging on her arm slightly. He pointed to his own eye. _Look at this_he wanted to say to her. He traced a large rectangle on the floor, taller than it was wide. Then he traced a smaller rectangle on it. He hoped she'd understand he was trying to draw a door with a panel.

She just looked more confused and looked back to where the others were tending to Solana. The scene was grave and Yekaterina looked as if she was about to cry. Travis tugged on Aranda's arm slightly but the child would have none of it. She could not stop looking at the injured Andorian and the Klingon, human and Vulcan who were trying to do whatever they could in order to save her life.

There was a trembling below, again like a planet quake. Travis almost fell over. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned to look at it. It was the wall, and there was one doorway. The doorway was open; there was no panel. The scene behind it was moving, sliding by horizontally and to the right. It was a room much like the first room they had been in, but it was not filled with water. The room zipped by and was replaced with another, identical room that slid by and was replaced with yet another identical copy. This time, when Travis tugged on Aranda's arm, she complied and turned around. She practically pulled him over to the doorway and together they looked more closely at the rooms which were practically flying by.

Keleth came over. He gestured to the doorway with his hand. Travis could see some dark blue fluid on it; Solana's blood. Keleth looked inquiringly. Travis shrugged. Keleth held out his palm and Travis traced, _I don't know which is the right one_. The sliding seemed to go more slowly, but it did not stop.

Keleth shrugged and traced into Travis's palm. _Whatever we choose, it must be soon._He vaguely indicated back to where the women were sitting together. Travis nodded.

Just then, a room began to slide by that was the same as all the others, except there was a tiny flash of red and white, something in it, on the floor. Aranda pulled hard on Travis's arm, and Travis was caught so off-guard that he fell with her, into the room. The spinning stopped and they were all in the old room. Aranda caught a hold of what had attracted her to this room in particular, "It's Chabbo!" she called out, holding her toy aloft, "I found him!"

"Good job," said Travis, trying to sound upbeat. He didn't want to turn around. If the pattern continued to hold, Yekaterina would be gone, and Solana might be dead, and he wasn't sure he could bear that right now. But it was the old woman who came to him.

"Travis, this room is a little better, I think. Solana is feeling a little warmer, I think. She is not shivering. And it is good to be able to hear again," said Yekaterina.

"I, I'm so glad you weren't plucked." he said to her.

She surprised him by giving him a hug, "And I am glad you weren't, either. Now, what do you suppose is in store for us now, now that the pattern has apparently been broken?"

Keleth answered, or rather he thundered at the ceiling as his way of answering, "What do you want from us? We have given you all we could. We gave you six people! And now you want to take another! And for what? For a foolish game?"

T'Bek got up. She, too, yelled, her composure finally broken, it seemed, "You are obviously advanced technologically, yet you would kill innocents. If that is this evening's purpose, then your advancements are but illusions."

"Will you tell us what you are doing with us, or keep us in the dark forever?" asked Yekaterina.

"You had your fun, now let us go. At least let Aranda go!" shouted Travis, who had gone to comfort and look over Solana when T'Bek had gotten up.

"I, I'm cold." whispered Solana hoarsely, "I don't want to die here. At least let me die on my ship." she said weakly.

"I want to go home. I want everyone to go home," said Aranda.

There was another tremor, and a slight sound of machinery.

"Test One is now complete," said a voice, which sounded vaguely mechanical.

"What's that supposed to mean?" yelled Travis.

One by one, everyone began to vanish.


	7. Piece 7 - Deconstruction

Piece 7 – Deconstruction

Travis landed in Sick Bay, his feet slapping the floor hard as he landed from above. It seemed as if he was dropped there without much concern for whether he had far to fall, "Ow!"

Dr. Phlox turned around from where he was feeding his Derellian bat. "Ah, there you are! I'll tell the Captain you're all right, but first I must insist that you enter the decontamination room."

"Yes, of course. Say, do you have a PADD I could borrow? And how did you know ...?"

"You've been missing for hours. In you go. Here, take this PADD, but be aware it has a personal letter on it. Please don't erase that." Phlox shut the door as soon as Travis was in.

"Thanks, doc. Now, really, how did you know I was missing?"

"There was a quantum burst last night. The ship was rocked a bit and Commander T'Pol insisted on taking a head count. It was a good idea, too, as we found you were missing. Totally absent from the ship, that is. We thought you'd been kidnapped or something. A moment, let me contact the captain." Phlox stopped talking into the intercom and hit a button, "Phlox to the captain, I've got him."

"Is he all right?" asked the captain, his voice tinny to Phlox's ears, "I'd like to debrief him as soon as possible."

"Seems fine, I have him in Decon for now. I'll run a scan and if there's a problem I'll let you know. Phlox out."

Travis hit the intercom button inside the Decon chamber, "Doctor, was anyone else plucked?"

"Plucked?"

"Kidnapped. I mean kidnapped."

"No, just you. Hold still, I'm doing a scan. Let me know if you experience any pain or dizziness."

Once the scan was completed, Travis started to punch out random words on the PADD, a kind of reminder for things to look up when he had the chance. Then he organized the list, and his jumbled thoughts read as follows:

_Yekaterina Petrofa  
Lunar Colony library  
New Moscow  
Aranda Charra  
Xindi  
Charra Zika  
Iska  
something that kind of rhymes with tomorrow  
Keleth  
guard duty  
Klingon baby. Girl?  
Solana  
Andorian doctor  
T'Bek  
Sedek  
Vulcan Arch. Acad.  
42753  
Nistik  
prod sticks_

The PADD then showed the date – _June 14, 2154_. "Were there similar incidents on other ships in the area?" he asked Phlox.

"There were no other incidents in the area that I know of, but it's of course possible that we haven't got all the facts yet. Just a minute. There, that should do it." Phlox paused, "I've done four scans and you seem to be perfectly fine, except there is a foreign substance underneath your fingernails. But it is not toxic. In fact, it appears to be Andorian in composition."

"Oh, yes," said Travis, looking down at the dark blue underneath his left thumbnail, "It's Andorian blood." He swallowed hard, knowing the blood's original owner.

"You can come out. Here, let me have a look at that." Phlox did a quick reading, "You're right, it's the blood of a female Andorian. While we're heading to the meeting, you could tell me a little about that."

"Meeting?" Travis looked down at his ratty old sweatpants, "I'm not exactly dressed for one."

"True enough, but I think it would be wise for the senior staff to be able to observe your demeanor without too much time elapsing. That is, if you're comfortable with your attire."

"Well, it's not exactly regulation, but I'll live. Observe?"

"Why, yes. We've never had this happen before. Ensigns aren't normally plucked, as you say, out of thin air and then eventually deposited back in Sick Bay without so much as a _by your leave_. This seems to be a perfect learning opportunity."

"But why are they all together, doc?"

"We were going to have a staff meeting today, remember? We were supposed to discuss the new shifts. But then you were kidnapped so they were going to discuss their options. Since I wasn't really needed for that I stayed here so I could get some work done. And now I suppose the agenda has changed yet again. Shall we?"

The two men walked to the observation lounge. Everyone was glad to see Travis but a little wired. Travis realized they'd been waiting for a good hour for Phlox and him. Most had had multiple cups of coffee and the effects were still apparent. Lieutenant Reed was particularly jittery.

"Welcome back," said Captain Archer, "I see they didn't give you a uniform, wherever you were."

"Sir, Phlox suggested we do the debriefing as soon as possible. My apologies for my, um, unorthodox attire."

"Yes, Captain." confirmed Phlox, "The faster we talk, the more Ensign Mayweather here will remember about last night."

"Agreed." The captain punched a few buttons on a console, "Ensign Green, we're going to be here longer. Care to run the ship for another, I don't know, hour or two?"

"Certainly, sir." came a female voice from the console's communications speaker.

"The Ensign has no previous command experience." T'Pol reminded the captain.

"Well, now she'll get some. We're not in any sort of sticky situation, and if things change, she can always call us. We'll be fine so long as no one tries to sell the ship or hits anything with it. Now, where were we?" said the captain, settling back in his chair and grabbing a danish from a plate in the center of the table.

"Do you remember a lot of whatever it was?" asked Hoshi, "Was it bad?" she looked concerned.

"Oh, no, not really, it was strange, I guess. Here, can you look up some of these things while I'm talking? It might help, there are some things I still don't get. Those are kind of random. I tried to organize them but they're still pretty jumbled." Travis handed Hoshi the PADD and then surveyed the remaining pastries before settling on a small croissant.

"I'll help you with that list," said Malcolm, looking over Hoshi's shoulder, "Commander, you might want to comment on the items that are clearly Vulcan."

T'Pol took the PADD, "I'll see what I can find out. Please proceed, Mr. Mayweather."

Travis proceeded to talk about the previous evening's test. He kept downing glasses of orange juice and finally Lili, the steward, got a pitcher and put it at his place. But Travis wasn't even in his place, he was pacing around, agitated and excited. He finally finished and slumped into his seat, exhausted. His second or perhaps it was his third wind was fairly well spent.

"That's quite a story," said Captain Archer, "Has anyone found anything?"

"Captain, if I may," said Phlox, "I didn't want to interrupt Mister Mayweather's narrative. There is some Andorian blood under his thumbnail. The blood is confirmed to be from a female. Hence that may confirm the existence of this woman you called Solana."

"Good, because I can't find anything on her," said Hoshi, "But I did find a _Y. Chekhov_at the New Moscow Library."

"But her last name was Petroff or Petrofa, I think," said Travis, disappointed.

"That's not inconsistent with this information." explained Hoshi, "If she's an old-fashioned Russian, she might have been using a patronymic, that's just a name where you give your father's name and a female or male ending, depending on, of course, if you yourself are female or male. She could be this Y. Chekhov person. You should send her a letter and ask. It can't hurt."

"That might explain the Charra thing with the Xindi. Didn't the little girl have that as her last name, and the mother has it as a first name?" asked Tripp Tucker.

"A matronymic! I had no idea the Xindi did that," said Hoshi.

"I don't imagine anyone else knew that about them. Did you find Charra Zika?" the captain asked Malcolm.

"I found a slightly different spelling, _Chara Sika_. But no children listed. However, that is possible. She is evidently the new Xindi liaison with the Denobulans. It's been my experience that someone that well-known tends to keep the details of their family hidden from the general public, so as to prevent kidnappings," said Malcolm.

"Or pluckings." Phlox smiled, "What about the term _Iska_?"

"It's just as the Xindi said." stated Hoshi, "It's a waterfall. But there's no ship with that name."

"Currently, we don't require that the Xindi provide the names of all of their non-combat vessels," said Captain Archer.

"Has anyone found that place, you said it sounded almost like the word _tomorrow_, the mining colony," said Phlox.

T'Pol sat up as if she's suddenly remembered something, "That is probably Gemara, and it is no mining colony. It is a maximum security facility."

"So the old Xindi was a criminal?" Travis was incredulous.

Malcolm punched a few keys on his PADD, "It says here that mainly murderers are sent to Gemara, of various species. The prison is currently run by the Tellarites. They claim it's escape-proof. But, wait a second, ah, yes, this is interesting. It appears that some of the inmates are political prisoners or at least they were. Allegedly that's not done any more, but you never know, that could simply be happening but be better hidden now."

"Any luck with any of the other, well, hints?" asked Captain Archer. He was clearly enjoying a break from the normal routine. He motioned to Lili to pour him another cup of coffee. The steward then offered some to Hoshi, who waved a polite refusal.

"The Vulcan Architectural Academy is, of course, a real place. Kos is a graduate," said T'Pol. Tripp shot her a look before she continued. The mention of T'Pol's ex-husband was enough to arouse his interest but not anger or jealousy, "There is no information on current students; the administration evidently only provides that information if requested but otherwise does not make it public. As for T'Bek, I found no current records but there is a small reference to a T'Bek having gone through Special Forces training about thirty years ago. Therefore, it is logical to infer that she might work for the Intelligence Department."

"So she's a spy?" asked Travis.

"She might just have a desk job in Intel," said Malcolm, "The agency might be required to disavow knowledge of all of its members, no matter what they do."

"I can't find anything at all on the Orions," said Hoshi, "There's a quick reference to implements of persuasion, but nothing specifically called a _prod stick_. And the slaves have no individual records. So I guess that's it for the research."

"All right," said Captain Archer, "It appears that we have possible information on the Xindi, your human counterpart, the Vulcans and possibly the female Andorian. But the male Andorian is still a cypher, as are the Orions and the Klingons. What does that tell us? Analyses are all welcome."

"I believe you're enjoying this." teased Hoshi. Then she realized where she was, and added, "So it would seem. No disrespect, Captain."

"None taken. I _am_enjoying this. It isn't often that we get to speculate about existence. It definitely beats the pants off deciding on a duty roster."

"Yes, I found the philosophical discussions to be, well, I liked them. If you'd asked me about that yesterday, I would've thought you were nuts. But I really did like them," said Travis, a little incredulous.

"Seems like they opened up your mind a bit," said Phlox, "And my analysis is that the Orions were not real, and perhaps the infant was not, either. After all, let's assume these are intelligent beings. Therefore they would not tear an infant from its mother, not such a young baby. And as for the Orions, it's a tossup but I am coming down on the side of them not being real. The treatment appears to differ from how we have seen Orion men and women interacting with one another."

"Perhaps," said T'Pol, a little distracted, "Your assessment of the baby's reality is reasonable. But when it comes to the Orions, that is not necessarily so. After all, the women _are_slaves. Regardless of how they behave after a sale is made, that still does not explain how they behave amongst themselves or before a transaction has occurred. It makes sense that a slave – in particular one considered to be damaged, as it were – would possibly be mistreated. The female Orion did not have the built-in advantages that members of her gender normally possess. Hence she could only be in a subordinate position."

"Do you, does anyone, have an idea of what the whole thing was about?" asked Travis.

"Actually, we were hoping you could tell us, if I may speak for all," said Phlox.

"Oh. Hmm, well, maybe it's strange, but my idea was that they wanted us to work together. They may have known that some of us had been enemies but I don't think they knew all of the details. They might not even have realized that any of our species had already encountered each other." began Travis, "But that didn't matter, I don't think. See, they pressured us in one way or another. But they also made us – or at least me – care. And not just in a generalized sense."

"Yes, it seems as if it's more than human – sorry, intelligent species – decency," said Malcolm, correcting himself when T'Pol and Phlox stared at him.

"That's right. I don't, I don't want to see anyone hurt, certainly no one who's never done anything to me," said Travis, "And I think most of us would instinctively try to protect a little baby. But this was more than that. I worry that Solana didn't make it, and I feel I'll mourn if she has died. And I worry that Yekaterina might not be feeling well, or Aranda is scared, or Keleth will get in trouble for being AWOL."

"If that's the purpose, then they did a good job with you," said Captain Archer, "Travis, why don't you take the rest of the day off? We'll all think about this but in the meantime I've got a ship to run. Hoshi, why don't you escort Travis back to his quarters. Wouldn't want him to be plucked again." Archer smiled.

"Of course, sir," said Hoshi, and she and Travis walked to his quarters.

"What did it all mean, really?" asked Hoshi once they had arrived, "I get the feeling there's more to it than what you offered back there."

"I think we're being primed for something, for something big," said Travis, "And it has something to do with working together. And I think it has to do with becoming friends. I didn't just work with those people, I felt like they were my friends, like Sedek and I could play a friendly game of tennis or Solana and I could enjoy a platonic evening out. And Aranda, I felt like she was my niece. All I wanted to do was protect her and tell her that everything was going to be okay."

"I don't know how easy the working together part is going to be. The Klingons have claimed another incident and the Andorians have cut off diplomatic relations with the Orions."

"Maybe it's meant to happen in some other time. I guess no one has a crystal ball here, and I don't know how long it's going to take, but I like to think that the future will bring us all together. I think it'll be more than just trade agreements and nonaggression pacts. I want to believe that we will come together because we enjoy each other's company, because we want to share a joke or a burden. I got the strong feeling that all of these species are going to live together and work together, and sometimes we're going to die together for a common cause." Travis's eyes were shining and he was looking far away.

"That's a noble sentiment."

"But that's all it is, just a sentiment. I figure I won't live to see it." Travis sniffed slightly.

"You've seen a lot more of it than anyone here has."

"I guess that'll have to sustain me." Travis sighed.

"That'll have to sustain all of us." Hoshi left.

Travis changed into a different pair of ratty sweat pants. He was about to toss the old pair into the laundering receptacle when he rifled through the pockets. There was still the slightly used tissue but there was something else. It was Nistik's business card.

There was a dancing Orion girl on the front, a little moving picture of sexiness. It was not 42753, it was some other woman. On the back, there were Orion letters but Travis did not need Hoshi's translating services. He figured it probably just said _Nistik Limited_or something like that. He squeezed the card and a much larger, life-sized holographic image appeared, completely unexpectedly. It was the same dancing girl, projected in his room. A message was recited in what were probably a few area languages although nothing that Travis recognized, and there was music in the background. He'd ask Hoshi for the translation some other time. He deliberately squeezed the card and the holographic image became small again. He put the card gingerly onto his desk. It was the only evidence of Nistik's existence, and possibly 42753's, that he had. Phlox had been wrong. At the very least, Nistik and his company were very real.

He lay down in bed but couldn't sleep, so he turned on his computer and set it to voice recognizer, "Computer, give me the Galactic News Feed." The familiar green and white logo of GNF appeared on the screen, along with its signature chime.

_Welcome to the Galactic News Feed. Enter a program or select from a range of predefined programs, or use one of your own saved programs. You may also choose top stories.  
_  
"Computer, program GNF number five. No, wait, I want to hear news stories about non-humans."

_You have selected non-human news stories. Accessing.  
_  
A human anchorman and a Denobulan anchorwoman appeared at a familiar news desk, "I'm Jeff Waldman and this is Iliva Deron, here now the news. On Kronos today, there was a planet quake that measured 8.7 on the old Richter scale. Reports of casualties are sketchy but the Klingons have informed us that a newborn baby girl was found in the wreckage of a building, evidently unharmed. We were not allowed in to take pictures, but the Klingon authorities say the baby is in stable condition although a Klingon woman who was apparently her mother was found dead at the scene. Names are withheld pending the proper notifications."

Travis's jaw dropped. Was this the Klingon baby? "Comp, computer, replay that story." The computer replayed the story, "Save that."

_Saving story. Would you like to track any updates to this story as they come in?  
_  
"Yes! Computer, stories about the Orions."

_There are no current stories about the Orions. Stories about non-human species are about elections on Denobula and an Andorian rodeo rider.  
_  
"Never mind, computer." Solana was no rodeo rider. Travis was disappointed. He was sure there would be something about her, at least.

_Breaking News! The Orion Syndicate reports a small slave uprising has occurred in their Sixteenth Province. We have footage.  
_  
On the screen was a chaotic picture of Orion slave women rioting. Travis thought he saw 42753, but he could not be certain, "Computer! Save this story. And track all developments!"

_Saving and tracking. Are there any more news stories__you wish to follow at this time?  
_  
"Uh, no. Say, computer, switch to encyclopedia."

_Switching._

"Computer, what is the publication associated with the term, _'Drink Me'_?"

_Earth novel, nineteenth century. Alice in Wonderland. Author: Charles Lutwedge Dodgson. Pseudonym: Lewis Carroll. Protagonist: Alice Liddell. Would you like to see illustrations from the original work?  
_  
"Uh, sure."

_There are four images of the original Tenniel drawings. The first is the white rabbit. The second is Alice. The third is the creatures in the pool of tears. The fourth is –  
_  
"Computer, go back to the second image and enlarge it."

_Second image accessed and enlarged.  
_  
The picture looked, in a superficial way, like Aranda. The shading and lines almost looked like hairs, and the child was about the right age, "Computer, is it possible to obtain a copy of this book with these illustrations?"

_Electronic copies are available of this classic work. Illustrations are included.  
_  
"Computer, write a letter to Y. Chekhov at Lunar Colony Library."

_Ready.  
_  
_"My name is Travis Mayweather and I hope you are Yekaterina Petrofa. If you are not, then I apologize for the unwanted contact and I hope you will pass this note along to Yekaterina. I found this book and I believe you might enjoy it after our adventure last night. My best wishes for you, Travis Mayweather." _

He paused, "Computer, send the letter with a copy of the book."

_Sent. Further instructions?  
__  
_"Uh, yeah. Computer, write a letter to Chara Sika, she's a Xindi, care of the Xindi Ambassador."

_Address found.  
_  
"_Dear Miss, uh, Mrs. Sika. My name is Travis Mayweather and I know you don't know me and I don't want to alarm you. I also don't know if I have the right person so please bear with me. I had a very interesting experience last night and I believe it was with a, uh, a relative of yours. I hope she is all right and I want to send to you and her this Earth book as a token of friendship. I hope that you and, and she will enjoy this book. Best wishes, Travis Mayweather._"

He took a deep breath. It was a balancing act. He wanted to maintain contact, but he didn't want to scare Aranda's mother, "Computer, send the book and the letter."

_Sent. Further instructions?  
_  
"Send me a copy of the book, load it onto this PADD."

_Loaded. New message received.  
_  
Travis wasn't sure he wanted to deal with work, "Who's the message from?"

_Y. Chekhov, Lunar Colony Library._

"Play message."

It was Yekaterina, speaking Russian. Every line took a little while to be translated by a mechanical voice, "_Travis, it is good to hear from you. Yes, Alice in Wonderland, you are absolutely right, that is the 'Drink Me' book. I am glad we have contact. Please, let us try to maintain it. Be well, Yekaterina Petrova Chekhov."  
_  
Travis smiled. He'd answer the letter later. He took the PADD and got under the covers. He was just past reading about Alice going down the rabbit hole when sleep overcame him.

He did not even notice that there was a new message on his PADD from the Xindi Ambassador.


	8. Piece 8 - Completion

Piece 8 - Completion

In the dark of the space outside Travis's porthole window, wisp entities appeared. They were gossamer-like, translucent, scarcely detectable unless you knew what you were looking for. No one on the _Enterprise_knew, and no one was looking.

The entities looked in on Travis before retreating behind a nearby cloud of interstellar gas. The first one projected thoughts to the others, a form of speech with a million trillion voices speaking as one, "The first phase of this test went very well. This group performed exceptionally. A few snags, but nothing we have not seen – and overcome – before."

"Yes, that's true." replied the second entity, projecting thoughts to the others, "And this one's insight about cooperation and friendship was very good. We saw that insight in over half of this test group. We normally don't see that, as I recall, until the second or third phase usually."

"That is correct." stated the third, in thought projection-speak, "The first stage, they usually realize that fear and prejudice should be overcome. And in the second stage, they decide to work together. The third stage is when they begin to relax and make friends. But this one is not at the fourth stage, where they start to really understand what the tests are about. This one does not yet comprehend that the tests are to bring species closer for a large purpose indeed."

"Indeed, it is a larger purpose than any of their small minds can fathom." stated the first entity, "The unification of a galaxy, under a single thought, a single purpose, a single mind and a single spirit is beyond their ken, and then a unification even beyond that. The galaxy of my origin, oh, it was long ago, and even longer ago, and there were many, many species and they all were at odds. But we came together, and when we shed our bodies and came to perfect galactic understanding, we sought others, to bring them to our way of existence, and to work towards our common, ultimate goal."

"And when you did that, my galaxy of origin rejected your overtures. We did not realize your intentions. It was too much for us, with our petty trade disputes, our wars and our prejudices. It took the ages of planets and stars for us to come together." added the second.

"And so the testing system was developed, a very wise idea." concluded the third, "My galaxy of origin benefited from that. The early mistakes made with the second galaxy could be bypassed. Time, not so much time, had to elapse, before we became one. It is a good methodology; my galaxy can speak from experience, even though we are the young upstarts."

"Back when I was still a corporeal entity, when my galaxy was still divided, I would not have believed that a billion-year-old entity could be considered a young anything," said the second. There was almost a joking, collegial tone as the billions upon trillions of voices that comprised the second entity gently teased the trillions that composed the third entity.

"Let us return to the matter at present," said the first. "The interconnectedness is already beginning on a very small level. This test subject does not realize that a second one of the other test subjects has contacted him. To be sure, he knows about one, but not about the second. A pleasant surprise for a resourceful subject. We have only seen this happen 65,824,831 times before, a very small subdivision of test subjects now numbering in the octillions."

"Most of the other test groups did not do as well. In the other quadrants of this galaxy, the intelligent beings are still too wild and untrusting. And even within this quadrant, there are still many who are untrusting. There is much to do. It will be a while before they unify on the galactic level. The species called Organians is closer," said the third.

"A pivotal moment is coming up for this galaxy," said the second, "We will be here for it. This subject was correct, he will not survive to see that moment, but the second round of testing will begin and the second set of subjects, the ones who include his species, will learn and will understand what he has done and understood. He and the others – all twelve of them – have set the pace."

"This is an intelligent test group," said the first, "When the time is right, they will have a welcome place with us."

"In the meantime, we will learn from them, perhaps it will be as much as they will learn from us," said the third.

"Perhaps," said the other two, "and when the time comes, and all of the galaxies are unified, the galaxies themselves will reunify in what this species calls a quantum singularity. It will be as it was just before what this species calls _The Big Bang_."

"Strange, in some ways, is it not, that a species uses scientific and mathematical terms to define a joining that is as much about mutual respect, affection and understanding, as it is about physics." communicated the second entity.

"It is what their level of understanding can bear." communicated the first, "And that is all right, for this stage." Then all three of the entities vanished.

Travis turned in his sleep, dreaming of a dinner party with all of his friends, both new and old. He smiled contentedly and continued dreaming.


End file.
